


The Knowledge From His Pretty Little Lips

by TheOrgasmicSeke



Series: Armin Appreciation Week [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Friendship, Hasn't gotten there yet but it's coming, M/M, Mega-Evolution, Pokemon AU, Pokemon Battle, Pokemon Journey, Polyamory, armin appreciation week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-25
Updated: 2015-06-25
Packaged: 2018-04-06 04:32:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4208043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOrgasmicSeke/pseuds/TheOrgasmicSeke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a past that Eren would rather forget and he finally has that chance with Armin's help. With the knowledge that blond posses, Eren may finally be able to learn from his mistakes and never allow his pokemon to suffer again. And maybe, Jean can help him too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Knowledge From His Pretty Little Lips

**Author's Note:**

> For Armin Appreciation Week: Day 2 - Knowledge.
> 
> You may want to check out the first part before reading this one.
> 
> I know I focus a lot on the pokemon in this but it's just stuff I want to get out of the way before we can focus on Jean's, Armin's and Eren's relationships. Considering this prompt was Knowledge I thought I'd dive a bit into Armin's training and what he's good at, which is teaching and sharing the knowledge that he has. 
> 
> Enjoy!

"The best advice I am able to give you is to focus on the strength and weaknesses of each pokemon you have at hand." Armin spoke softly in a confidant tone that Eren was drawn to. Really, he couldn't look away from the blond, too focused on the words coming for his mouth and the sparkle in his eyes. Armin was beautiful; there was no denying that. It was why Eren had challenged him in the first place because he wanted to see what he would look like in battle. Best decision he ever made. Not to mention, Vulpix was really enjoying her time with Sableye so that was a plus.

Jean, however, was not a plus. He was completely unexpected and ruined the alone time Eren thought he would get with the blond. He wanted to pick at Armin's brain and see what he could teach him. There was something beautiful about the way he spoke and how he always had an answer to any question Eren could throw at him. He was really intelligent; probably because he spent most of his life with his nose buried in books as he mentioned before.

"And what is the best way to do that?" Eren asked, resting his chin in his hand as he leaned on the table.

Jean watched the two of them with an annoyed expression, glancing away every so often as if he couldn't stand to see the two of them together. He sat between Eren and Armin, giving the other two a chance to face one another at the round table. He sipped his tea with a scowl on his face that did not go unnoticed by Armin but it didn't matter one bit to Eren.

"Observation." Armin stated, placing his tea cup down before leaning back in his chair to raise his eyes to the sky in thought. "Pay attention to the specific way your pokemon moves, whether in battle or outside of it. They will show their weaknesses and strengths. And then, from there, you can learn how to accommodate for them." Crystal blue shifted to Gallade, who was sitting on the ground near them with his eyes focused on the sky. "Gallade for example. He's a very strong pokemon on his own. He was just a Ralts when I found him and he seemingly had little weaknesses. But, after observation, I came to learn that his speed was a weakness. He was not as fast as other pokemon. So, we accommodated. If he couldn't move as fast as other pokemon than his reaction time had to be tenfold. We worked on that for a long time. Now, his speed is of little concern. No matter how fast the pokemon, he is able to react accordingly."

"Wow." Eren perked a brow, his heart thumping slightly in his chest at the warm look on Armin's face as he glanced at Gallade. It was obvious he loved his pokemon and cherished them the way they deserved. No wonder he had pokemon that were hard to catch. The boy knew exactly what he was doing.

"That's how he kicked my ass." Jean cut in, a fond smile on his lips as he glanced at Armin. "Gengar is fast. Faster than Gallade but that didn't mean shit. Not when Gallade was already attacking before Gengar had even appeared. He can predict the movements of your pokemon or your own thoughts. It's pretty astounding really."

The tips of Armin's ears flushed as he lowered his eyes to the table and it made Eren want to punch Jean; even if the guy was complimenting the blond he was fond of. "I only pay close attention. It's not much really."

"But it is." Eren lit up, his heart jumping into his throat when those beautiful eyes landed on him. "I know I'm not as good of a trainer as a lot of other people but I try. I try really hard. And I know you do too. That's what we do as trainers. We try our best for the sake of our pokemon. The fact that you are able to think so quickly on your feet is a benefit to your pokemon. It's something I strive to have so they don't have to get hurt." He glanced over to Vulpix, a soft smile on his face as she curled up against Gallade's leg.

Armin sat up straight suddenly, a determination in his eyes as he leaned over the table, his eyes narrow as he stared at Eren who blinked at him in surprise. "Are you honest about that? Would you really like to learn how to be a better trainer, for the sake of your pokemon and not for the sake of winning?"

"Yes?" Eren swallowed hard and then nodded, gaining a bit more confidence as he sat up straight and met Armin's eyes head on. "Yes, Yes I do. They are most important to me. More so than winning any gym badges or anything like that. I just want them happy." His tone was more serious than either Armin or Jean had ever heard and there was a look in his eyes that screamed of painful experiences.

"Hm." A soft warm smile came to Armin's lips as he sat back in his seat.

"Shit." Jean cursed softly, rolling his eyes.

"I'll help you if you'd like." Armin offered.

"Really?" Eren's shoulders went stiff. "You'll help me?"

"Of course. For the sake of your pokemon. And you are not a bad trainer, Eren." Armin's smile grew, kind, warm and breathtaking. "You care deeply for their well-being and that is the most important step in being a good trainer."

"You should take up a job as a teacher." Jean mumbled, shrugging one shoulder at the sharp look Armin gave him. "Teach him all you want as long as it doesn't interfere with me."

Dark turquoise glanced between the other two males. "You're teaching him too?"

"Jean's a fast learner."

"Guess that's one more thing we're rivals at then." Eren shrugged, relaxing into his chair with a grin on his face.

"Rivalry is a good thing. It helps people strive for greatness, as long as it is healthy." Armin stated.

"Considering I constantly kick his ass, I don't see how it's healthy."

"Hey, fuck face, I kicked your ass last time." Eren pointed out, his brow furrowing.

Armin laughed softly, a warm sound in his throat, gaining the attention of the other two. "What's important here is you both want to be better trainers and I am more than willing to help you. I don't know much, and I don't know how much help I will be, but I will do my best."

Eren grinned as he reached across the table, gathering one of Armin's hands in his own. "Thanks so much, Armin."

The blond flushed slightly, glancing between Jean, who looked like he wanted to punch Eren, and Eren who had the brightest smile on his face. It made Armin relax and he gave Eren's hand a squeeze in return. "You are most welcome."

* * *

Armin stood straight, his arms crossed over his chest and his feet planted at shoulder width. He looked handsome like that, his shoulder length blonde hair tied back into a ponytail while his bangs brushed over his forehead and cheeks. Gallade stood at his side, observant as ever with those eyes that seemed to pick up on everything just like Armin's did. Eren could never tell what the pokemon was thinking and he reminded him a lot of Armin. He wondered if the blond realized how alike he was with his pokemon.

"And Vulpix is your go to pokemon, correct?" Armin asked as he looked Eren over who stood only a few feet away.

They had been training all morning like they did almost every morning. Two weeks of training and Eren learned quickly why Jean smirked at him when he agreed to his training regimen with Armin. The blond was an amazing teacher but he took everything very seriously and there was no such thing as slacking in his opinion. Eren didn't mind. He enjoyed the work outs for himself and his pokemon and how much he was learning.

Plus, he was spending so much time with Armin.

The blond was better than he could have ever expected. Sure, he was beautiful, but there was  _so much_  more to him than that. He was bright; always happy to learn new things but also happy to explain the things he knew. He always lit up when he talked about things he was excited about and it always made Eren want to know more, even if the subject didn't originally interest him. He just loved seeing Armin excited like that. Armin was smart, kind, a little strict but also pretty funny when he wanted to be.

Everyday he managed to surprise Eren in some way.

Be it with a lunch he made for the two of them or a new tip on how to handle himself and his pokemon. Eren was sure he would never tire of that voice in his ear and he hoped he would never lose it. Armin was a cherished friend now and he was sure his sister would be so proud of him the next time they met. She was bound to like Armin too and Eren was excited for the two of them to meet.

"Yeah, I've been trying to evolve her but I wanted to take it at her own pace." Eren shrugged, glancing down at the small pokemon who was nuzzling against his pant leg.

"That's very kind of you." Armin's face relaxed, a warm smile coming to his lips that always managed to make Eren's heart jump in his throat. "But since I've met you, She's the only pokemon of yours I have seen. I was just wondering if you had others?"

Eren perked a brow. "Yeah, I have two more."

"And I have yet to see them because?"

"Um, well, they've been resting. I kinda pushed one of them a little too far." He glanced to the ground, obviously ashamed of his actions. "So he's been resting and the other has been keeping him company."

"May I see them?"

Eren nodded as he reached into his belt and pulled out two pokeballs. There was a light flush on his face as he glanced at Armin but the blond was smiling at him, a comforting gesture that made Eren feel a bit better. "I take them out every night for fresh air and I was thinking it might be a good idea to start training them again. To get their strength back up."

"That is a very good idea, Eren."

He twirled the two small balls in his hand for a moment before he pressed the two buttons and tossed them in the air. The balls twisted around as they started to glow with a white light. The balls opened at the same time and with a spark of light, Eren's pokemon were set free, landing on the ground between the two trainers.

The ground shook for a few seconds and Armin had to steady himself, his eyes going wide at the large pokemon he was greeted with. Gallade let out a soft hiss, moving around his trainer in a protective manner. Armin was quick to pat his arm gently, assuring him everything was fine as he stepped out from behind him so he could greet Eren's pokemon.

Haxorus stood tall, so tall that Armin had to tilt his head back to get a good look at him. The dragon-type pokemon was as tall as Eren who happened to practically tower over Armin anyway and when Eren stepped up beside his pokemon the resemblance was astounding.

Sitting calmly at Haxorus' side was a Houndoom. A beautiful elegant pokemon but something was vastly different about it.  _It was blue._

"Oh!" Armin gasped, his eyes going slightly wide as he took a step toward Houndoom who just watched him with calm eyes. "You have a shiny."

Eren grinned proudly. "Caught her when she was just a little Houndour, lost and alone." His grin faded slightly. "Wild pokemon don't seem to take to shinies very well so I took her in."

"Oh, she's lovely." Armin gave the pokemon a soft smile to which Houndoom nodded at. Then his eyes shifted back to Haxorus who stood at Eren's side. "And Haxorus. Wow, Eren, You have strong pokemon."

The brunet grinned, putting his hands on his hips as he puffed out his chest a bit. "Raised them myself."

"I knew you were a good trainer. Just needed a little help." Armin smiled at him.

"You've helped me a lot, Armin." Tanned cheeks flushed darkly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I'd love it if you could help me with them too."

"Of course. But I don't think you need much help with them. They are brimming with power. If not a little out of practice..." Armin trailed off as his eyes landed on Houndoom. "Would you like to battle?"

Eren perked up. "Yeah! What do you say Houndoom?"

Houndoom perked up, getting to her feet and let out a soft woof of approval. She was brimming with excitement at the chance to battle and it made Armin happy to see. Haxorus decided he wasn't needed so he lumbered off the side and sat down near Vulpix who quickly snuggled up between his legs. Sableye wondered over after a second and was greeted by a warm growl from the dragon.

"Gallade, do you mind?"

Gallade didn't hesitate. He moved in front of his trainer and took his stance, raising his arm blades at the ready. Houndoom gave a soft growl before she too took her place before her trainer. Both trainers took their steps back, giving their pokemon the room they needed to battle while the others watched from the sidelines.

"One round." Armin offered. "First one knocked off their feet loses. How does that sound?"

"Sounds great!" Eren agreed, smiling. Houndoom had not battled in a while but she was primed and ready. Eren could see the excitement rolling off her tight muscles.

"Hold up hold up!" Jean, who had been walking down the path to join them for lunch, hurried up to them, Gengar not far behind him. "Are you two about to battle?"

"Just in time!" Eren grinned, clapping his hands.

"Would you like to call it?" Armin asked.

Jean dropped the bag from his shoulder to the ground as he glanced between the two of them. "Sure. I'd love to see you kick his ass in person." He perked a brow at Houndoom. "You're using her?"

"I wanted to battle her." Armin set his feet shoulder width apart and dipped down slightly, mirroring the stance of Gallade. He looked determined and it was then that the other two trainers realized he was taking this seriously.

"Alright." Jean shrugged as Gengar dropped to the ground at his side, just as excited to see the battle. Jean held out his hand, glanced between the two trainers before counting down from three. At one, he raised his hand in the air and let out a shout of "battle!".

No one moved at first. Gallade's feet sunk harder into the ground and Houndoom's claws dug into the dirt but neither moved, waiting for their trainer. Armin's eyes sparked to life with something Eren had never seen. He made the first move, his lips parting to let out a command that Eren couldn't even hear.

Gallade launched into the air and took off in a solid run, moving from side to side in a zigzag pattern. Eren called for Houndoom to stay alert, to wait and be patient. To see what Gallade would do. But then, Eren remembered, he had to predict. Houndoom was faster than Gallade and he knew that. So, he sent his pokemon off into a sprint as well. But then Gallade started to glow all of a sudden as it launched into the air and Eren had only a split second to realize Armin had his hand clamped down over a pendent that hung from his neck; something Eren had noticed before but had never seen since the blond kept the pendent under his shirt.

Houndoom skidded to a halt at the creature that landed on the ground in front of her. She didn't have a chance to react before a large blade swiped at her, forcing her to jump out of the way, landing on her feet just in front of Eren. She narrowly avoided the attack.

"The hell is that?!" Eren shouted, his eyes wide at the creature standing before Armin.

"Have you never heard of Mega-Evolution, Eren?" Armin asked, his eyes dancing with something Eren couldn't entirely read.

"Mega... I thought that was a legend!"

"It was up until a few years ago." Armin explained, peeling his fingers away from the colorful glowing pendent in his hand. "I ran into a very kind professor who gave this to me. With the right jewel, your pokemon can evolve once more. There is still little understanding and I've been spending the past few years of my life researching it."

"He dragged me into it." Jean mentioned, holding out his left hand to show Eren the bracelet he always wore that had a similar pattern to Armin's necklace.

"You wanted to." Armin pointed out. "Gengar's mega-evolution is beautiful."

"Hold up, how the hell am I supposed to beat that?" Eren pointed at Mega-Gallade, his eyes slightly wide. "It seems unfair to me!"

"It is." Armin admitted, a soft smile on his lips. "I just wanted to show you what Gallade was capable of. And what Houndoom is capable of."

"Houndoom?"

"She can mega-evolve."

Eren glanced at his pokemon in surprise. "She can?"

"With the right jewel. Shouldn't be too hard to find."

"In other words, he wants to drag you into this too." Jean let out a soft sigh, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Mega-evolution is an astounding thing and I would love to see the many different types." Armin trotted off to his abandoned backpack and dug around in it for a minute before he found what he wanted and went to Mega-Gallade's side. "This is for you, if you want it." He held out his hand, showing Eren a bracelet that was identical to the one Jean was wearing.

Eren glanced at the bracelet before he stepped forward, closing the distance between them with Houndoom at his side. "You're giving this to me?"

"Yes. Under the agreement that you will stay with Jean and I so I am able to observe your Mega-Houndoom. We have to find her jewel first, which should be a fun adventure. If you're up to it."

"Adventure?" Eren's eyes lit up. "With you?"

"And Jean, of course."

"Fuck Kirschtien." Eren grasped Armin's hand, wrapping his fingers around the bracelet as he pulled the blond to him, wrapping his free arm around his body in a tight hug. "This is awesome! Going on a pokemon journey is way more fun with friends!"

Armin laughed softly, his cheeks flushed as he patted Eren's back. "I agree."

"Guess I'm stuck with you then, Jeager." Jean grumbled, though there was a fond smirk on his lips as he stepped up beside them.

"You were always stuck with me asshole." Eren grinned as he pulled back from Armin, leaving his hand to rest on the blond's hip while he used his other to give Jean's arm an affectionate punch.

"So it's agreed then." Sapphire glanced between the two trainers who were coming to mean a lot to the blond, a warm open smile on his lips.

"Hell yeah. Pokemon adventure! Sleeping outside, hunting for food, hunting for jewels!" Eren grinned as he took the bracelet from Armin and snapped it around his right wrist. "Haven't done that since I was a kid."

"You still  _are_  a kid." Jean pointed out.

"Still older than you, jackass."

"By three months."

"Yes, you are both over the age of eighteen but are still kids, we know." Armin teased, his cheeks bunching up at his smile. Jean and Eren glanced at one another before looking away with equal flushes on their cheeks. "But, I am excited as well. My journey as a child was cut short due to family reasons. So, this will be very nice. I have everything we need at home. My grandfather will be happy to see us off."

"Let's meet there in the morning then."

"So it's set then?" Eren asked hopefully.

"Yes." Armin nodded with a soft laugh.

"Great!"

**Author's Note:**

> In case you didn't notice, every prompt will be in this universe and I'm pretty excited about it! Erejearmin was not my original plan but this is a week dedicated to Armin and I just want the little blond happy. Shipping doesn't have to be involved but it's what I'm used to writing, thus I'm putting him with the two men I ship him the most with. Plus, Eren and Jean are just dorks together. I love it. And I hope you do too!
> 
> Please let me know what you thought! Thanks for taking the time to read!
> 
> ~Addy~


End file.
